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Brittany Rose




Dear Sisters,

By Brittany Rose

It's been an exciting time since I wrote you last. The wedding was beautiful, and the honeymoon even more so. I was in total 'boy' mode, as I had promised my bride, and we had a great time. Then once the new year started, Brittany came back out. I performed a couple of times and then an opportunity presented itself for the next phase in my life as Brittany, and February turned out to be my most fun month yet!

For my birthday I went to Studio Lites, an outstanding transformation and-everything-else salon in Denver to get a new wig. I already have a couple, but none that I was satisfied with as far as blending in is concerned. Chris helped me pick one that is absolutely perfect! It's a shoulder length ash blonde that I fell in love with immediately! And it looks extremely natural on me.

Now, up to this point my trips out and about have been very safe. Halloween, gay bars to perform, etc. with only the occasional trip into the mainstream - eating late at night at Denny's, once going to a Spaghetti Factory, and the got-read-by-everybody dash into the Renaissance Festival. With my new wig, I was ready when the perfect opportunity presented itself - The Ballet Trockadero de Monte Carlo was coming to town!

I was pretty, at the ballet.


Click to see large poster (185K)
For those of you who aren't familiar with this dance troupe, a bit of background is in order. They are a world-recognized group who does parodies of classic ballets. They are hysterically funny, extremely talented, and, oh, yes, all male. All of the dancers have both male and female personas, which puts everyone in a tutu at one time or another. The object is not to pass, since guys in drag is part of the humor, but some of them looked very good. It was very easy after awhile to forget that they weren't females. They did a parody of Swan Lake, and their rendition of the "Dying Swan" and their finale to "Stars and Stripes Forever" were superb. (The dancing was very entertaining and well done and I am certainly not a ballet connoisseur, having dozed off during previous ballet experiences.)

Anyway, they were performing at a local college, and I thought it would be the ideal excuse to dress. Go in drag for a performance in drag. My wife agreed to go along with it, and so we went. I had a nice dress-up two-piece outfit - a gold blouse/jacket combination with a short black skirt, which I wore with my favorite seamed stockings and high-heeled boots. My wife wore an equally classy dress, and we both fussed over our makeup and nails.

Let me pause here to emphasize how important that was. We made it a special evening for both of us. Previously when we went out, it was for me, I got all the attention, and we usually just had enough time for her to throw something on and go. And gee! It wasn't that much fun for her. Go figure! This time she got equal attention and felt equally special, and she had a great time as well. For maybe the first time, it was truly a girls' night out, and it provided a great setting for the evening.

We got to the auditorium shortly before the show started, and found seats. It was a lengthy but very entertaining evening, and I didn't notice a second look from anyone. Actually, I did get one second look. My wife, walking behind me as we left, noticed that as I walked past the doorman, he gave me a complete once over, from heels to hair! Afterwards we went out to eat, and laughed and had a great time as girlfriends. As a matter of fact, one of the main topics of conversation was my male self who we discussed in the third person. Oh, the things she said! And again, without any undue attention from anyone!!!

White Men Can be Women

I was so delighted with my success, that I decided to take the next step. I would go to a Colorado Xplosion game in Denver on a Sunday afternoon. The Xplosion is a professional woman's basketball team. My wife doesn't care for basketball, so to make it more challenging, I would be going on my own. Several firsts here - public place, daytime, alone. This would be a test for my voice, as well, which I had been working on. But I figured that since my height (6'4") is my biggest liability, the one place I wouldn't stand out would be at a women's basketball game. I had been to one game earlier to scout out the possibilities and discovered that the appropriate dress was very casual. So I looked to a new source for the right type of clothing - my boy self's closet.

That morning after church, I did my face first - the lightest foundation possible to still cover my beard, light makeup, and shorter lashes. Normally, I do my face last, but I wanted to wait till the last possible moment to be able to use the bathroom, since I didn't feel ready for the hurdle of using a women's restroom. I put on my Classic Curves padding, and other undergarments, then put on baggy jeans and a green sweater. My new wig, and silver hoop earrings (clip-ons designed to look pierced), a medallion, and rings for accessories completed the ensemble. For shoes I wore a feminine pair of white sneakers from Payless. (In some parts of the country Payless actually goes up to size 13!)

The drive to Denver was uneventful, not counting the car of guys that paced me for a couple of miles. At the stadium I went in, found my seat and enjoyed the game. At least until I realized one of my earrings was missing. I went to the gate, explained my situation to the attendant, got my hand stamped, and found the missing earring by my car. I re-entered the arena, thanked the attendant and showed him my find, returned to my seat, and then realized that I had carried on a conversation safely, without even thinking about it. Before the game ended, I bought souvenirs, and a soda without any undue attention, even chatting with the woman at the soda counter.

Then, on the way home I experienced an unwanted first. I had to go to the bathroom. Bad. Knowing that there had been problems with TG's in women's bathrooms in Denver before, it was the one place where my confidence was lacking. But I obviously couldn't go into a men's anywhere. Then I remembered the third alternative. I drove to the new mall south of town and went into their family bathroom. These bathrooms are designed for families who need to deal with children, and are for men or women to use. Although there has been some debate whether or not these are appropriate for us to use, in my case it was the only safe option. There was no one else in there at the time, and each toilet/sink facility has its own lockable door. It was perfect for me to get straightened up and do what I had to do. Then I, of course, did a little shopping. (Very little, since the mall was closing). A couple of looks but was I read? I don't know. Not on the whole, I'm sure.

I Love a Parade

Emboldened by my successes so far (Did I mention I love my new wig?), I decided to go dressed to the Carnivale parade and festival that a nearby town was having on the Saturday afternoon before Mardi Gras. I wore the same outfit I had worn to the game, and went to see if I could blend into the crowds. Like before, I was on my own. I drove over, started walking around looking at various booths, and bumped into Carole, a lesbian friend that I used to work with. She'd seen pictures, but this was the first time she had met me dressed. She was taking pictures of the parade for friends, including her partner, Susan, who had created costumes for the parade. We walked up and down the street (small town - small parade) and finally found her friends. She introduced me to them, including Susan, by saying, "You know that guy at work I told you about? This is his cousin, Brittany." (wink, wink). We chatted a little bit, and Carole told me privately that everyone was cool, and that one of the people in a large monster costume was also a crossdresser. Susan seemed nice but not overly friendly. We ran into them a couple of times, and since they had to stick around I offered to give Carole a ride home.

We decided to stop at a restaurant and walked in, to find another friend, Katie, that we had worked with, there with her husband, mother, and daughter. She made room for us, and we had lunch with them. She showed no sign of recognition, and we, as a group, talked about the Carnivale, and politics, and anything that came up. I felt so great about fitting in; I was really on a high! Then her mother and husband stepped out and I confessed who I was. Katie said that not only did she know that I was a guy (she just wasn't sure who), but that her husband had also asked. Oh, well. It was fun anyway, but it was kind of a letdown to find out that I hadn't passed nearly as well as I hoped. Got to work on the voice!

On the Other Hand...

However, the amazing part was yet to come! First, that evening I got online and talked to Katie to ask what I needed to work on to be more passable. She laughed and confessed that when I showed up with Carole, she thought I must be her partner, Susan, whom she hadn't met. When I was introduced, she realized that I wasn't her, and assumed I was just another female friend. It took her several minutes before my true gender dawned on her. Her husband hadn't been sure, but asked out of curiosity because Katie has a lot of "different" kinds of friends. And her mother never had any clue that I wasn't who I appeared to be, just assuming that the young lady she was chatting with was Carole's partner.

Then, that night I got a phone message from Carole. It turns out that Susan and the rest of her friends at the parade all took me to be perfectly female, completely missing the "she's his cousin" hint. (The only one that read me was a straight male, who Carole thought figured me out because he was checking me out.) As a matter of fact, Susan wasn't too happy with Carole showing up at the parade with an unknown woman. Needless to say I was absolutely delighted, but I think I may owe her an apology.

The Moral of the Story

Okay, so what did I learn from all this? Lots of things:

  1. Don't forget the camera!! Can you believe I had these wonderful experiences and didn't get a single picture????

  2. I'm about to give up on the whole concept of passing, simply because you can't tell if you're successful. Not everyone who reads you reacts by shouting, "My God, that's a man!" My day at the Carnivale was unique in that I could find out whether or not I passed with the people I was interacting with. I think I prefer the idea of blending. How well do I blend in? That I can tell by comparing myself to others and their reactions. How well do I pass? I thought I passed with Katie, and she had read me, and I just knew that Susan knew what I was, and it turns out that she didn't have any idea. You just can't tell whether you're passing or not.

  3. Height is not a major issue. For years I ruled out ever passing, or even dressing because I'm 6'4" and that is obviously too tall for a woman. Now I realize that, although I will get noticed, my height does not mean that I will automatically be read. What really matters is, at the very least - appropriate clothing, a natural looking wig, a decent voice, and confidence. Those things will go a long way to blending in. I am puzzled by TG's who wear the wrong clothes, a bad wig, use their male voice and can't understand why they don't pass. (Or worse, those who think that they do. "People stare because I'm so attractive as a woman." Umm, sure, hon.)

  4. I'm so glad I took the next step! We all have our comfort levels, and family situations. But I want to encourage you to take the next step. It may be driving dressed, going to a support group, or going to a club. I realize that I'm very lucky to be able to dress well enough to go out in public, but that has only come with practice, work, and the help of professionals and friends in the community. Whatever the next step is for you, go for it. Be safe, but go for it! You'll be ever so glad you did.

    Fashionably yours,
    Brittany Rose
    BrittTV@aol.com


    Click to see large picture (121K)

    P.S. I just found a new, very fun book. It's called Double Take: The Art of the Celebrity Makeover, and it's written by Devon Cass, a well-known Cher impersonator. The book takes several people, step-by-step to being made over as a particular celebrity. Even though many of the models are professional impersonators, it is still an impressive book. The opening section is a general guideline of makeovers with lots of tips on everything from shaving to makeup to padding. Each following chapter covers a specific celebrity. First it gives a little background on the model and the significant traits of the celebrity to be impersonated. Next, we get a listing of the appropriate clothing, eyelashes, and wig for the makeover, as well as suggested expressions, quotes, and even songs to perform, followed by a list of alternative options. Perhaps the most interesting part is the next where you get a step-by-step picture guide of the makeover, but only on one side of the face, so you can compare the madeover half to the plain half. Finally we get pictures of the final result with an interview. Although there are 27 celebrities represented, mostly female-to-female or male-to-male, there are MTF makeovers for Claudette Colbert, Barbra Streisand, Marilyn Monroe, Liza Minelli, RuPaul (does Ru count?), Marlene Dietrich, and the author as Cher.



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